Study: Efficacy Of A Bleach-Based Product For Cut Flowers In Supermarkets

Background – Most if not all consumers are familiar with common household bleach containing sodium hypochlorite such as Clorox®.  Another common but more stable form of bleach is called calcium hypochlorite, often referred to as swimming pool chlorine.  A third but less familiar form of bleach is potassium hypochlorite.  Nevertheless, the sodium, calcium, and potassium forms of bleach all have the same active ingredient, hypochlorous acid.

A potassium form of bleach called FloraFresh has been introduced to the floral industry.  It is being sold to supermarkets for use in buckets and vases to hold, display, and sell cut flowers.  The producer claims in part that it controls microbes, extends flower life, and eliminates bucket-scrubbing labor.  The information presented here summarizes efforts to investigate some of these claims and other factors regarding this and other postharvest products under actual and simulated in-store supermarket conditions.

Chemistry – Mixing FloraFresh with deionized water at the recommended rate resulted in a 5.7 pH solution with 22 parts per million (ppm) free chlorine (the form of chlorine that kills bacteria best), 25 ppm total chlorine, and 86 ppm potassium.  Compared to flower food and commercial holding products, FloraFresh contains no energy source (sugar) and is about 100 times less acidic.

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